Multicolor flock printing machine



INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 2, 1940 J. H. JOHNSTON 2,206,570

ULTICOLOR FLOCK PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1938 4 Sl'xeelzs-Sheevk1 July 2, 1940. J, H JQHNSTON 2,206,570

HULTICGLOR `FLOCK PRINTING MACHINE Filed April' 4, 1938 4 sheets-sheet 2ATTO RN EYS July 2, 1940. J. H. JOHNSTON 2,206,57 A

uuLTIcoLon FLocK PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 4, 1938 4 sheets-sheet :s

ATTORN EYS July 2, 1940. J`. H. JOHNSTON MULTICOLOR. FLOCK PRINT-INGMACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 4, 193Bv F5910. ll

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented July 2, 1940l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEMULTICOLOR FLOCK PRINTING MACHINE John Hugh Johnston, Fall River, Mass.Application April 4, 1938, lSerial No. 200,013 4 claims. (ci. ici-11s) Afurther object is to provide a machine of this type having a novelstencil cylinder, being provided with a plurality of pockets forcontaining distinctively colored printing material.

' A further object of the invention is to provide novel means foradjusting the stencil cylinders relatively to each other so that thedesign on the flock applying cylinder will accurately register with theadhesive applied to the textile fabric or the like by the adhesiveapplying cylinder.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will beeffective in operation, thoroughly reliable and inexpensive tomanufacture and insall.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ofcertain novel details of construction and combinations of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood thatvarious modifications maybe resorted to within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the invention. l 3o In the accompanying drawings formingpart of this specification,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a multicolor flock printingmachine constructed in accordance with the invention.

35 Figure 2 is a plan view of the machine with the stencil cylinders andmountings therefor shown in section.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the machine taken on the line3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of oneof the two slottedplates which coact with annular division walls in the stencil cylinderto form pockets for a plurality of distinctive colors.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the links of the chain formoving the endless rubber blanket. y

Figure 6 is an enlarged -longitudinal sectional view of one of the linksshowing the connection between the link and the blanket.

Figure '7 is a front elevation of a modified form of stencil cylinderhaving channels for respectively diiferent colored materials.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a front elevatonof a modied form i of stationary plate foruse in the stencil cylinder shown in Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a front elevation of another modified form of stencilcylinder of hexagonal cross section.

Figure l1 is a cross sectional view taken on the line II-II of Figure10.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of referencedesignate similar parts in the various views, I0 designates a suitableframe which is equipped at the ends with superposed shafts I I equippedwith respective toothed gears `I2 over which a pair of endless chains I3are trained oneon each side' of the machine.4 The chains are driven bya'motor I4 which is belted as shown at I4 to oneof the shafts Il,

or otherwise connected thereto.

The shafts II are equipped with idle rollers 4 over which is trained anendless rubber blanket I5. The blanket is connectedlat the longitudinaledges to the endless chain links I6, one of which is shown in Figure 5.

Each link comprises two similar integral sections I'l having oppositelydisposed V-shaped grooves I8 to receive the teeth of the gears I2. PinsI9 are loosely mounted in openings formed axially in the sections of thelink and are Vequipped with forked ends which receive the edge portionI6 of the rubber blanket and are riveted to said edge portion as shownat 2|.

In the present embodiment of the invention a pair of similar stencilcylinders is illustrated, the front cylinder Z2 applying an adhesivesuch as lacquer for example to the textile fabric and the rear cylinder23 applying ock to the printed stencil design formed by the rstcylinder.

kThe stencil cylinders are duplicates of each other so that adescription of one suiiices for both.

The stencil cylinder is provided with a plurality of openings 24, bestshown in Figure 3, through which the printed material is dispensed fromthe cylinder in the form of any desired design, the present exampleshowing circular openings to form dots on the traveling web of tex` tilefabric 25 carried bythe rubber blanket in a path underneath thecylinder. As best shown in Figure 2 the cylinder is provided with aplurality of annular partition walls 26. A pair of plates 21 are mountedstationary in the revolving stencil cylinder and these plates slopetoward each other from their upper ends toward their lower ends, asshown in Figure l. Each plate is provided with a plurality of slots 28in the bottom edge to receive the division Walls 26. The stationaryplates 21 and revoluble division walls 26 coact in forming a row ofpockets longitudinally of the bottom of the cylinder to receiverespective supplies of different colored printing materials whichgravitatesthrough the stencil openings as the openings arrive betweenthe stationary plates during rotation of the cylinder, and prints adesign in a plurality of diierent colors transversely on the travelingweb of material to be printed.

Each stencil cylinder is provided at the end with a cylindrical hub 29which is loosely mounted in a gear 30 as best shown in Figure 2, thegear engaging the respective chain I3, as best shown in Figure 3. Thechain is supported intermediate the rollers by a table 3| also bestshown in Figure 3, the table having a recess 32 to support the chain.The stencil cylinder is remova-` bly clamped against the chain by shafts33 arranged on opposite sides of the cylinder and extendinglongitudinally thereof. 'I'he shafts are mounted on standards 34 whichrise from the table as best shown in Figures 1 and 3 and are disposedabove the center of the respective stencil cylinder. Rollers 35 aredisposed on each shaft and bear against the cylinder.

As previously stated the hubs of the stencil cylinder are loose in thegears 30. The purpose of this is to permit accurate adjustment of thetwo cylinders so that the design of flock material applied by the rearcylinder 23 will accurately register with the design of adhesivematerial applied by the front cylinder 22. For this purpose one hub 29of the stencil cylinder is extended beyond the gear 30 and has fixedthereto a worm gear 36, as best shown in Figure 3. A worm 31 is xed tothe outer side of the gear 30 and meshes with the worm gear 36 'to lockthe gear 30, gear 36 and stencil cylinder for rotation as a unit. Shouldthe design applied by the ilcck cylinder 23 not track, or register withthe design of adhesive applied by the cylinder 22, by manually turningthe worm 31 of either cylinder, the cylinder may be turned bodily in thegear 30 to cause the stencil design of the ilock cylinder to accuratelyregister with the design of adhesive when the latter passes underneaththe design .of

- the ock cylinder.

The stencil cylinder may be adjusted transversely of the table as a unitwhen desired and for this purpose a pair of adjusting pins 38 arethreadedly engaged through the standards 34 which are disposed betweenthe cylinders and each pin is provided with a transversely disposed head39 equipped at the ends with rollers 40 which bear upon the drivinggears 30 of both cylinders. Each pin is equipped with a pair of nuts 4|which engage opposite faces of the respective standard 34. By looseningthe nuts of one pin and tightening the nuts of the other pin bothcylinders may be simultaneously adjusted endwise transversely of thetable. I

The stationary plates 21 which form the end walls of the row of pocketsin each stencil cylinder are provided at the ends with rods 42 whichproject through the hollow hubs 2 9 of the cylinder and are secured inbearings 43 carried by standards 44 which rise from the table as bestshown in Figure 1.

Disposed below the traveling blanket is a pan 45 which is supported atthe end upon brackets 46 secured to the frame l0. The pan is adapted tohold cleaning material for removing the adhesive from the blanket andmaintainthe blanket in clean condition at all times.

A roller 46', best shown in Figure 1, is mounted in bearings 41 carriedby the pan and the roller is submerged for about one-half its diameterin the cleaning fluid. The upper side of the roller engages the workingface of the blanket and applies the cleaning fluid thereto. A pressureroller 48 is mounted on a standard 49 in superposed relation to theroller 46 and presses the blanket down against the roller 46.

A plurality of Scrapers 50 is arranged on the top of the pan and bearagainst the'working face of the blanket after it has received a coatingof cleaning material from the roller 41. scrapers scrape the cleansingmaterial. and any accumulated adhesive from the working face of theblanket so that the blanket will pass on to the table in thoroughlycleansed condition. A pair of pressure rollers 5I are arranged on theStandards 52 which rise from the pan and these rollers press the blanketdown firmly against the Scrapers.

By referring now to Figures 1 be seen that a bar 53 is mounted on adriven shaft 54 that is journaled'in the frame. The

bar is substantially square in cross section and belted to the shaft asshown at 1 or otherwise connected thereto.

A modied form of stencil cylinder and a modified form of plate forforming a row of pockets in the cylinder,'is shown in Figures 7, 8 and9. Instead of employing partition walls on the inner face of thecylinder as shown in the preferred i embodiment of the invention, thestencil cylinder 56 is provided with a plurality of spaced annularchannels 51 which extend beyond the outer surface of the cylinder andare provided with stencil openings 58. These channels provide the sidewalls and bottom walls of a longitudinal row of pockets in the cylinder.

'I'he end walls of the row of pockets is formed These and 3 it wm byplates 59 having a plurality of spaced tongues 60 which are received inthe channels.

In Figures 10 and 11 there is shown another modified form of theinvention in which the 4cylinder 6| `is substantially hexagonal in crosssection and the stencil openings 62 are arranged at the intersections ofthe flat faces of the cylinder. Annular partition walls 63 must beprovided 'I in this form of the invention to coact with suitable shapedplates to form the row of pockets in the' cylinder.

It will be pointed out that in all forms of the lis produced, thepatterns or designs of the second stencil cylinder 23 corresponding tothe pattern or design in the rst stencil cylinder 22 except that theholes are made a trie larger in the second cylinder to permit suflicientcoverage of flock striking the adhesive and prevent any part of thecylinder touching the adhesive printing applied by the first cylinder.

If desired a paper web 64 may be run through the machine with the fabricin interleaved position between the fabric and the blanket to preventany printing material which may be on the blanket from contact with thefabric. The paper and cleaning tank may be used separately or ma both beused if desired.

Since the operation of the parts has been described as the descriptionprogressed it is thought that the invention will be fully understoodwithout further explanation.

.What is claimed is:

1. In a flock printing apparatus, a traveling blanket for supporting thematerial to be printed,

a pair of stencil cylinders rotatably mounted above the blanket, saidcylinders being hollow, one of said cylinders being adapted to apply anadhesive to the material to be printed and the following cylinder beingadapted to apply flock to the material to be printed, the stencilopenings in the following cylinder being larger than the stencilopenings in the rst named cylinder to permit sufficient coverage offlock striking the adhesive and prevent any part of the cylindertouching the adhesive applied by the first cylinder, each cylinderhaving parallel annular division walls concentric with the axis of thecylinder on the inner surface thereof, and stationary plates extendingtransversely of all of the division walls and forming a longitudinal rowof pockets at the bottom of the cylinder to receive respectivelydifferent colors of printing material and permit the same to gravitatethrough the stencil openings as the openings arrive between thestationary plates during rotatior. of the cylinder.

2. In a flock printing apparatus, a traveling blanket for supporting thematerial to be printed, a pair of rotatable stencil cylinders superposedupon the blanket, one of thev cylinders being adapted to `apply anadhesive to the material to be printed and the following cylinder beingadapted to apply ock to the adhesive, a rotary beater bar engaging theunderneath face of the blanket below the flock applying cylinder adaptedto vibrate the blanket and beat the flock applied by the followingcylinder into the adhesive applied by the rst cylinder, each cylinderhaving parallel annular division walls concentric with the axis. of thecylinder on the inner surface thereof, and stationary plates extendingtransversely of all of -the division walls and forming a longitudinalrow of pockets at the bottom of the cylinder to receive respectivelydifferent colors of printing materialand permit the same to gravitatethrough the stencil openings as the openings arrive betweenl thestationary plates during rotation of the cylinder.

3. In printing apparatus, a hollow revoluble stencil cylinder havingstencil openings, a plurality of annular division walls integral withthe inner wall of the cylinder and concentric with the axis of thecylinder, and ajpair of stationary plates disposed within the thecylinder longitudinally of the cylinder having portions fitting betweenthe annular division walls to form pockets for respectively differentcolored printing material at the lowest point in the cylinder to per-'mit the printing material gravitating through the stencil openingsasthe openings arrive between the stationary plates during rotation ofthe cylinder.

4. In printing apparatus, a hollow stencil cylinder having a pluralityof spaced annular channels extending beyond the outer surface of thecylinder and provided with stencil openings, said channels beingdisposed concentric with the axis of the cylinder, and a pair ofstationary plates extending longitudinally of the cylinder at the lowestpoint thereof having spaced tongues received in said channels andcoacting with the walls of the channels to form pockets for respectivesupplies of different colored printing material, said material beingadapted to gravitate through the stencil openings as the openings arrivebetween the plates during rotation of the cylinder.

JOHN HUGH JOHNSTON.

